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Leonberger

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Leonberger
Common nicknamesLeo
OriginGermany
Traits
Height Males 72–80 cm (28–31 in)
Females 65–75 cm (26–30 in)
Coat Long and coarse with mane on neck and chest and feathering on extremities
Colour Yellow, red, reddish brown or sandy including all combinations in between, with a black mask
Kennel club standards
VDH standard
Fédération Cynologique Internationale standard
Dog (domestic dog)

The Leonberger is a giant dog breed, whose name derives from the city of Leonberg in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.

Description

Appearance

This breed has a thick and dense double coat[citation needed]; the Leonberger is a large, muscular, and elegant dog with balanced body type, medium temperament, and dramatic presence.[1] The head is adorned with a striking black mask. Remaining true to their early roots as a capable family and working dog and search-and-rescue dog (particularly water), the surprisingly agile Leonberger is sound and coordinated, with both strength in bearing and elegance in movement. A sexually dimorphic breed, the Leonberger possesses either a strongly masculine or elegantly feminine form, making gender immediately discernible.[2]: 5  The breed has webbed paws.[3]

Size, proportion, and substance

Leonberger female

Height at withers:

  • Male: 71–80 cm (28–31 in), average 75 cm (30 in) [2]: 18 [4]
  • Female: 65–75 cm (26–30 in), average 70 cm (28 in) [2]: 18 [4]

Weight:

  • Males: 120–170 lb (54–77 kg), average 145 lb (66 kg)
  • Females: 100–135 lb (45–61 kg), average 115 lb (52 kg)

Capable of demanding work, the Leonberger is a dog of ample substance. Its frame is supported with well-muscled, medium to heavy bone in direct proportion to its size. A roomy chest is sufficiently broad and deep for the purpose of work. Seen in profile, the chest curves inward from the prosternum, tangentially joins at the elbow to its underline at 50% of the withers' height, and then continues slightly upward toward the stifle.[1][4]

The head is well balanced in proportion to the size of the dog and is deeper than broad with the length of muzzle and the length of skull roughly equal. With close-fitting eyelids, the eyes are set into the skull upon a slight oblique; the eyes are medium-sized, almond-shaped, and colored dark brown. The ears are fleshy, moderately sized, and pendant-shaped, with sufficient substance to hang close to the skull and drop the tip of the ears level with the inside corners of the mouth. The Leonberger's ears rise from halfway between the eye and the top of the skull to level with the top of the skull. Though level bites and slight anomalies not affecting the robustness of the lower jaw are common, the ideal Leonberger possesses a strong scissor bite with full dentition.[4]

Coat

Both a necessity for work and a defining attribute of the breed, the Leonberger has a dense water-resistant long double coat on the body that is complemented by the shorter, fine hair on the muzzle and limbs. The long, profuse, outer coat is durable, relatively straight, lies flat, and fits close. A mature, masculine Leonberger exhibits a pronounced mane. Similarly, his tail is very well furnished from the tip to the base where it blends harmoniously with the breech's furnishings. Climate permitting, his undercoat is soft and dense. Apart from a neatening of the feet, the Leonberger is presented untrimmed. These dogs are ill-suited to hot climates.[3]

Colour

A female sand-colored Leonberger

Several coat colours are acceptable, including all combinations of lion-yellow, red, red-brown, and sand.[4][5] Nose leather, foot pads, and lips should always be black. Faulty colours include brown with brown nose leather, black and tan, black, white, or silver, and eyes without any brown. A small patch of white on the chest or toes is permitted.[6]

Temperament

First and foremost a family dog, the Leonberger's temperament is one of its most important and distinguishing characteristics. Well socialized and trained, the Leonberger is self-assured, insensitive to noise, submissive to family members, friendly toward children, well composed with passersby, and self-disciplined when obliging its family or property with protection. Robust, loyal, intelligent, playful, and kindly, they can thus be taken anywhere without difficulty and adjust easily to a variety of circumstances, including the introduction of other dogs.[2] Proper control and early socialization and training are essential, as this is a giant breed.

"This is an outstanding water rescue dog. Only a short period of training it needed to augment its natural instincts." Its double-layered waterproof coat traps air and aids in buoyancy. Webs between the toes make for a powerful swimmer.[3]

Health

A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 10 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds.[7] A 2015 French study found a life expectancy of 8.75 years.[8] A 2005 Swedish study of insurance data found 74% of Leonbergers died by the age of 10, higher than the overall rate of 35% of dogs dying by the age of 10.[9]

An analysis of Leonberger pedigree found an inbreeding coefficient of 0.29 with just 22 founding dogs. From 1989 to 2004 the life expectancy dropped from 9.4 years to 7.7 years. Almost half suffered from at least one health condition and 21.5% suffered from neoplasia. The next most common group of conditions were orthopaedic and neurological at 15.8% and 14.8% respectively. The most common individual conditions were arthritis, polyneuropathy, hypothyroidism, gastric torsion, and dilated cardiomyopathy.[10]

Musculoskeletal conditions

A Norwegian study found 25% of Leonbergers had hip dysplasia after 18 months of age.[11]

Ophthalmological conditions

A study in the UK identified cataracts in 90 out of 211 Leonbergers surveyed.[12]

Neurological conditions

A study found a high prevalence of neurological conditions in the Leonberger, which is likely due in large part to limited genetic diversity.[10]

Multiple hereditary forms of polyneuropathy that are similar to the human disease Charcot-Marie-Tooth have been described in the Leonberger. A study concluded the most likely causes are autosomal dominant variants in the ARHGEF10 gene [13] and in the GJA9 gene,[14] and an autosomal recessive variant in the CNTNAP1 gene.[15]

Another disease described in the breed is the juvenile-onset leukoencephalomyelopathy caused by an autosomal recessive variant in the NAPEPLD gene.[16]

Neoplasia

The Leonberger has a predisposition to hemangiosarcoma and osteosarcoma.[10] A study in the UK of more than 900,000 dogs looking at the annual prevalence of osteosarcoma found the Leonberger to have the second highest rate, at 1.48%, compared to 0.037% overall.[17]

History

The coat of arms of Leonberg

In the 1830s, Heinrich Essig, a dog breeder and seller and mayor of the town of Leonberg near Stuttgart in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, claimed to have created the Leonberger by crossing a female Landseer Newfoundland with a "barry" male from the Great St Bernard Hospice and Monastery (which would later create the Saint Bernard). Later, according to Essig, a Pyrenean Mountain Dog was added, resulting in very large dogs with the long, white coats that were the fashion for the time, and a pleasant temperament. The first dogs registered as Leonbergers were born in 1846 and had many of the prized qualities of the breeds from which they were derived.[1][2] The legend is that the dogs were bred to be an homage of the lion in the town crest[1] and coat-of-arms animal of Leonberg, the lion.[18] The Leonberger dog became popular with several European royal households, including Napoleon II, Empress Elisabeth of Austria, the Prince of Wales, Otto Von Bismarck,[19] Emperor Napoleon III, and Umberto I of Italy. Essig's claim of breeding the dog as described is disputed. Records from as early as 1585 may indicate the existence of Leonberger-type dogs; documents dating from 1601 held by the Metternich family describe similar dogs used to deter the theft of livestock.[20] Either way, no doubt exists that Essig named and registered the breed first. A black-and-white engraving of the Leonberger was included in The Illustrated Book of the Dog by Vero Shaw (at p. 488) in 1881.[21] At the time, Essig's Leonbergers were denounced as an indifferent knockoff of a St. Bernard—not a stable and recognized breed—and a product of a popular fad or fashion for large and strong dogs, fomented in part by Essig's prodigious marketing skills (he gave dogs to the rich and famous).[1][21]

The modern look of the Leonberger, with darker coats and black masks, was developed during the latter part of the 20th century by reintroducing other breeds, such as the Newfoundland.[18] This was necessary because breeding stocks of the Leonberger were seriously affected by the two world wars. Only five Leonbergers survived World War I[22] and were bred until World War II when, again, almost all Leonbergers were lost. During the two world wars, Leonbergers were used to pull the ammunition carts, a service to the breed's country that resulted in the Leonbergers' near-destruction.[23] Karl Stadelmann and Otto Josenhans are credited as the breed's saviors, bringing them back from almost extinction.[19] Leonbergers today can have their ancestry traced to the eight dogs that survived World War II.[22]

Traditionally, Leonbergers were kept as farm dogs and were much praised for their abilities in watchdog[24][25][26][27][28] and draft work. They were frequently seen pulling carts around the villages of Bavaria and surrounding districts.[2]: 4  Around the beginning of the 20th century, Leonbergers were imported by the government of Canada for use as water rescue/lifesaving dogs.[29] The breed continues in that role today, along with the Newfoundland, Labrador Retriever, and Golden Retriever; they are used at the Italian School of Canine Lifeguard.[30][31] They have been used successfully as flock guard dogs.[32]

The Leonberger received American Kennel Club recognition as a member of the Working Group[1][33] on January 1, 2010, alongside the Icelandic Sheepdog and the Cane Corso. It was the 167th breed to be recognized by the AKC.[34]

The Lifetime TV movie Grumpy Cat's Worst Christmas Ever features a Leonberger that becomes a victim of a dognapping, co-starring with the famous Grumpy Cat.[35]

In the story Murphy and the Great Surf Rescue in Gill Lewis' Puppy Academy series of children's books, Murphy is a Leonberger puppy whose special skill is swimming.[36]

The graphic music video "Deutschland" by German rock band Rammstein portrays the symbolic figure of Germania giving birth to Leonberger puppies.[37]

Leonberger dogs are represented in many stamps from around the world.[38]

In Norwegian author Karin Fossum's Inspector Sejer series, the title character has a Leonberger named Kollberg.[39]

Three Leonberger dogs[40][41] (one was a female, and two males)[citation needed] played the main character Buck in The Call of the Wild: Dog of the Yukon (1997), a Canadian rendition of Jack London's Call of the Wild which stars Rutger Hauer as John Thornton and is narrated by Richard Dreyfuss.[41][42] The breed chosen in this movie was not the one identified as Buck in the novel.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Flaim, Denise (June 10, 2020). "Leonberger History: The "Secret Mascot" of Leonberg". American Kennel Club. Retrieved September 10, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Junehall, Petra Breed Standard: Leonberger, 08-tryck, 2005.
  3. ^ a b c Pugnetti, Gino (1980). Schuler, Elizabeth Meriwether (ed.). Simon & Schuster's Guide to Dogs. Nature Guide Series. New York, Lodon, Toronto, Sydney, Tokyo, Singapore: Simon & Schuster. pp. 66–67. ISBN 0-671-25527-4.
  4. ^ a b c d e "AKC meet the Breeds: Leonberger". American Kennel Club. 2010. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  5. ^ Gagne, Tammy (25 January 2018). Huskies, mastiffs and other working dogs. Oxford: Raintree. p. 19. ISBN 978-1-4747-2100-4. OCLC 1063636111.
  6. ^ UK Kennel Club. "Leonberger Breed Standard".
  7. ^ McMillan, Kirsten M.; Bielby, Jon; Williams, Carys L.; Upjohn, Melissa M.; Casey, Rachel A.; Christley, Robert M. (2024-02-01). "Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death". Scientific Reports. 14 (1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC: 531. Bibcode:2024NatSR..14..531M. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-50458-w. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 10834484. PMID 38302530.
  8. ^ Leroy, G. G.; Phocas, F.; Hedan, B.; Verrier, E.; Rognon, X. (2015). "Inbreeding impact on litter size and survival in selected canine breeds" (PDF). The Veterinary Journal. 203 (1): 74–8. doi:10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.11.008. PMID 25475165. S2CID 27631883. mean=8.18 ± 3.1 median=8.75
  9. ^ Egenvall, A; Bonnett, Bn; Hedhammar, å; Olson, P (2005-09-30). "Mortality in over 350,000 Insured Swedish Dogs from 1995–2000: II. Breed-Specific Age and Survival Patterns and Relative Risk for Causes of Death". Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica. 46 (3). doi:10.1186/1751-0147-46-121. ISSN 1751-0147. PMC 1624818. PMID 16261925.
  10. ^ a b c Letko, Anna; Minor, Katie M.; Jagannathan, Vidhya; Seefried, Franz R.; Mickelson, James R.; Oliehoek, Pieter; Drögemüller, Cord (2020). "Genomic diversity and population structure of the Leonberger dog breed". Genetics Selection Evolution. 52 (1): 61. doi:10.1186/s12711-020-00581-3. ISSN 1297-9686. PMC 7557023. PMID 33054768.
  11. ^ Krontveit, Randi I.; Nødtvedt, Ane; Sævik, Bente K.; Ropstad, Erik; Trangerud, Cathrine (2012). "Housing- and exercise-related risk factors associated with the development of hip dysplasia as determined by radiographic evaluation in a prospective cohort of Newfoundlands, Labrador Retrievers, Leonbergers, and Irish Wolfhounds in Norway". American Journal of Veterinary Research. 73 (6): 838–846. doi:10.2460/ajvr.73.6.838. ISSN 0002-9645. PMID 22620698.
  12. ^ Barnett, Keith C.; Featherstone, Heidi J.; Heinrich, Christine L.; Lakhani, Ken H. (2006). "Cataract in the UK Leonberger population". Veterinary Ophthalmology. 9 (5): 350–356. doi:10.1111/j.1463-5224.2006.00460.x. PMID 16939464. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
  13. ^ Ekenstedt, Kari J.; Becker, Doreen; Minor, Katie M.; Shelton, G. Diane; Patterson, Edward E.; Bley, Tim; Oevermann, Anna; Bilzer, Thomas; Leeb, Tosso; Drögemüller, Cord; Mickelson, James R. (2014-10-02). "An ARHGEF10 Deletion Is Highly Associated with a Juvenile-Onset Inherited Polyneuropathy in Leonberger and Saint Bernard Dogs". PLOS Genetics. 10 (10): e1004635. doi:10.1371/journal.pgen.1004635. ISSN 1553-7404. PMC 4183422. PMID 25275565.
  14. ^ Becker, Doreen; Minor, Katie M.; Letko, Anna; Ekenstedt, Kari J.; Jagannathan, Vidhya; Leeb, Tosso; Shelton, G. Diane; Mickelson, James R.; Drögemüller, Cord (December 2017). "A GJA9 frameshift variant is associated with polyneuropathy in Leonberger dogs". BMC Genomics. 18 (1): 662. doi:10.1186/s12864-017-4081-z. PMC 5574090. PMID 28841859.
  15. ^ Letko, Anna; Minor, Katie M.; Friedenberg, Steven G.; Shelton, G. Diane; Salvador, Jill Pesayco; Mandigers, Paul J. J.; Leegwater, Peter A. J.; Winkler, Paige A.; Petersen-Jones, Simon M.; Stanley, Bryden J.; Ekenstedt, Kari J.; Johnson, Gary S.; Hansen, Liz; Jagannathan, Vidhya; Mickelson, James R.; Drögemüller, Cord (27 November 2020). "A CNTNAP1 Missense Variant Is Associated with Canine Laryngeal Paralysis and Polyneuropathy". Genes. 11 (12): 1426. doi:10.3390/genes11121426. PMID 33261176.
  16. ^ Minor, K. M.; Letko, A.; Becker, D.; Drögemüller, M.; Mandigers, P. J. J.; Bellekom, S. R.; Leegwater, P. A. J.; Stassen, Q. E. M.; Putschbach, K.; Fischer, A.; Flegel, T.; Matiasek, K.; Ekenstedt, K. J.; Furrow, E.; Patterson, E. E.; Platt, S. R.; Kelly, P. A.; Cassidy, J. P.; Shelton, G. D.; Lucot, K.; Bannasch, D. L.; Martineau, H.; Muir, C. F.; Priestnall, S. L.; Henke, D.; Oevermann, A.; Jagannathan, V.; Mickelson, J. R.; Drögemüller, C. (11 April 2018). "Canine NAPEPLD-associated models of human myelin disorders". Scientific Reports. 8 (1): 5818. Bibcode:2018NatSR...8.5818M. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-23938-7. PMC 5895582. PMID 29643404.
  17. ^ O’Neill, Dan G.; Edmunds, Grace L.; Urquhart-Gilmore, Jade; Church, David B.; Rutherford, Lynda; Smalley, Matthew J.; Brodbelt, Dave C. (2023-06-27). "Dog breeds and conformations predisposed to osteosarcoma in the UK: a VetCompass study". Canine Medicine and Genetics. 10 (1): 8. doi:10.1186/s40575-023-00131-2. ISSN 2662-9380. PMC 10294386. PMID 37365662.
  18. ^ a b Isberg, Caroline Bliss. "Leonberger Breed". Leonberger-Hunde.org.
  19. ^ a b Maurer, David (6 March 2011). "Best-of-breed winner represents lovable Leonbergers". The News & Advance. NewsAdvance.com. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
  20. ^ Lusby, M (2005). The Leonberger. Kennel Club Books. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-59378-314-3.
  21. ^ a b Shaw, Vero (1881). The Illustrated Book of the Dog. London; Paris; New York: Cassel, Petter, Galpin & Company. pp. 479–480, 488–494. Retrieved 16 September 2023.
  22. ^ a b "Leonberger Dogs". PetInsurance.com. Veterinary Pet Insurance Company. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  23. ^ Lusby, Madeline (2005). Leonberger. Allenhurst, NJ, USA: Kennel Club Books. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-59378-314-3.
  24. ^ "Leonbergers At Work – Herding Training". Leonberger Club of Ontario. Archived from the original on May 19, 2016. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  25. ^ "Leonberger". Canada's Guide to Dogs. Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  26. ^ "Leonberger". Retrieved May 17, 2014.
  27. ^ Landry, Jean-Marc (August 1999). "The use of guard dogs in the Swiss Alps: A first analysis" (PDF). KORA Bericht (2): 19. ISSN 1422-5123. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  28. ^ "AKC proposed group realignment" (PDF). American Kennel Club. December 2011. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  29. ^ Pfaumer, Sharon (July 1996). "The Leonberger, the golden-hearted lion dog". Dog World. USA: 14–22.
  30. ^ Manetti, Francesco (August 23, 2010). "Italian school teaches dogs to become lifeguards". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. Retrieved October 15, 2011.
  31. ^ "Leos to the Rescue!" (Video). National Purebred Dog Day. 25 February 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2021. "Leonberger Water Rescue training" (Video). YouTube. May 11, 2018. Archived from the original on 2021-12-21. Retrieved September 10, 2021. "Rescue Dogs Jump From Helicopter" (Video). 26 October 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2021. Some of the dogs are Newfoundland dogs and some are Leonbergers
  32. ^ Dohner, Janet Vorwald (October 4, 2016). Farm Dogs: A Comprehensive Breed Guide to 93 Guardians, Herders, Terriers and other canine working partners. North Adams, MA: Storey Books. p. 300. ISBN 978-1-61212-592-3. Retrieved February 25, 2017.
  33. ^ "AKC Working Group". American Kennel Club. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
  34. ^ "AKC Welcomes the Cane Corso, Icelandic Sheepdog and Leonberger". June 10, 2011. Retrieved December 5, 2010.
  35. ^ Suhas, Maitri (29 November 2014). "Grumpy Cat and A Million Dollar Dog?". Bustle. Retrieved 2019-03-01.
  36. ^ Lewis, Gill; Horne, Sarah (July 7, 2016). Puppy Academy: Murphy and the Great Surf Rescue (Paperback). Puppy Academy: Puppies to the rescue!. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-273926-1. Suitable for: 5-7 boys and girls. Fans of Holly Webb and Andrew Cope's Spy Pups series
  37. ^ "Rammstein delve into their German identity with controversial new single". Brig Newspaper. 2019-04-01. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  38. ^ Leonberger Animal stamps
  39. ^ "Don't Look Back by Karin Fossum #bookreview #Norway". 21 April 2018.
  40. ^ "Leonberger Dogs". PetInsurance.com. Veterinary Pet Insurance Company. Retrieved 13 April 2015.
  41. ^ a b Call of the Wild - Dog of the Yukon at the Internet Movie Database
  42. ^ "Leonberger Facts". AKC.org. American Kennel Club. Archived from the original on 23 January 2009.

Further reading

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